Prior to a weekend when women's Olympic Marathon bronze medallist Deena Kastor makes her season's debut as the star attraction in the USA 8km road race Championships in New York, her Athens team-mate Meb Keflezighi, the men's Olympic Marathon silver medallist Meb Keflezighi has announced his withdrawal from next month's Flora London Marathon due to injury.

Kastor, who will be making her season debut, will be returning to New York for her first race since running the ING New York City Marathon only nine weeks after her bronze medal effort at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

The most intense challenge for Kastor in the race (Sat 26 March) which will be held in an around Icahn Track and Field Stadium, located on Randall's Island, will come from fellow Olympic marathoner and 2005 USA 15 km champion Jen Rhines. The duo will be joined at the front of the women's race by Olympians Carrie Tollefson and Amy Rudolph.

Keflezighi on the other hand has decided not to start in the London Marathon on 17 April as during his preparation, partly in San Diego and partly in Mammoth Lakes, he has suffered from some small injuries. "London Marathon is a top-event where world's best runners come together for top-performances. At this point there is no use to run London as I can't give London the performance they deserve." Keflezighi and his coach, Bob Larsen, will now sit down and draw a programme towards the summer-season. Their focus will be on a fast 10,000m and then the IAAF World Championships in Helsinki (10,000m). The third focus will be an autumn marathon, the venue of which has not been decided yet.